A wireless network can provide a flexible data communication system that can either replace or extend a wired network. Using radio frequency (RF) technology, wireless networks transmit and receive data over the air through walls, ceilings and even cement structures without wired cabling. For example, a wireless local area network (WLAN) provides all the features and benefits of traditional LAN technology, such as Ethernet and Token Ring, but without the limitations of being tethered together by a cable. This provides greater freedom and increased flexibility.
Currently, a wireless network operating in accordance with the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 Standard (e.g., IEEE Std. 802.11a/b/g/n) may be configured in one of two operating modes: infrastructure mode and ad hoc mode. One important aspect of wireless communication is Quality of Service (QoS). Traditional QoS techniques focus on single-hop network and are typically implemented on a single device (e.g., a router or a server) in the network. These techniques are not suitable for multiple hop distributed networks. In addition, existing QoS techniques typically do not discriminate different levels of media qualities such as high-definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) videos.